Improvement in deoxidizing and carbonizing iron ores



C. ADAMS. I neoxidizing and Carbonizing Iron ores. No'.100,095. lPatented Feb. 22, 1870.'

N. PETERS Phowlhwgnphan Wuhingon. D. C.

NME'

STATES PATENT arten.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEOXIDIZING AND CA'RBONIZING IRON ORES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 100,095, dated February22, 1870.

` mines, (or those more hard and refractory being crushed orpulverized,) to the action of carbonic-oxide gas, at the required degreeof temperature, within an apparatus or furnace so constructed as toenvelop the ores with the carbonic oxide under a suitable graduatedpressure, and depriving the iron of its oxygen by its combination andaffinity with the carbonic oxide, and by also carbonizing the iron afterthe oxygen has been extracted.

My apparatus or deoxidizing and carbonizing furnace is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure I represents avertical sectionthrough the middle of the furnace in the line of its greatest width.Fig. II represents a plan view of the furnace, and partly, also, ahorizontal section.

In each of the figures similar letters represent similar parts.

My furnace is constructed upon a suitable raised platform, A A,sufficiently high to permit the contents of the furnace to fall into thespace underneath, so as to discharge the ores after treatment. The formof the furnace is at the base a narrow parallelogram, and the parallelsides approach each other toward the top in a pyramidal form.

The furnace is composed of two similar shells or walls, B B C C, theinner, C C, to contain the ores, and the outer one to inclose the innerand furnish a closed space or chamber within which to force and hold thegases under pressure. The interior shell or wall, C, is pierced on allsides with a suitable number of openings, l 1, &c., to admit the gasesfrom the space or chamber C to enter the interior chamber or body of thefurnace, where the ores are placed, and completely fill it undersuitable pressure, and surround and permeate the ores thepressure-valvewith graduated'arm and sliding Weight F, and constructed inthe usualmanner.

The form of the body of the furnace above described is adopted as thebest for subjecting the ores to treatment, because it holds the ores ina space sufficiently thinor narrow for their being thoroughly acted uponby the gases through the mass; but this form and these proportions 'maybe Varied to square, round, or other forms. The amount ofthe pressurewithin the furnace must be graduated to the character of the ores to beacted upon, and also to the quantity of ores and width or body of themass of ore in the furnace, the greater body or quantity of orerequiring a greater pressure, and the less the width and consequentreduced thickness of the mass of ore the less the amount of pressurerequired.

Underneath the furnace is ahorizontal sliding door, D, (or othersuitable opening,) which, when closed, shuts the opening C2 in thebottom of the furnace and sustains the ores, and which, being withdrawn,allows the ores to fall thro ugh and the furnace to be discharged. b isa circular opening near the base in the outer shell, B, to admit a pipe,through which the carbonio oxide is forced or drawn into the body of thefurnace from any suitable generator or reservoir.

In operating the furnace the process is as follows: The bottom of thefurnace being closed by the sliding door D, and the charging-door E atthe top being removed or turned aside from the opening, the furnace ischarged with the ores until the interior chamber, C, is filled. Undersome conditions of the oresas where very hard or refractory- I think itadvantageous to crush or pulverize them before charging, and also tointimately mix the ores so pulverized with carbonaceous matter-such astar, oil, rosin, or any carbon-producing material. The furnace beingcharged, the door or cover is replaced and the valve closed and set atthe desired pressure. The carbonio oxide is then driven or forced inthrough pipeb by pumping, fanb1ast, or any other suitable arrangement,filling the space C between the two walls, and thence through theapertures 1 l into the interior chamber and upon the ores. As the oresbecome thereby heated by the high temperature of the carbonio oxide,they expand and become porous. The oxygen, having a stronger affinityfor the carbon of the carbonio oxide than for the iron, leaves the oreand seizes upon the carbon of the carbonio 0X- ide. As the pressure ofthe carbonio-oxide gas is brought to bear upon the ores as they becomeporous from the heat of the carbonio oxide, the gases permeate the ores,and thereby deprive the iron of its oxygen. In this manner the oresbecome deoXidiZed and are now ready for balling into merchant iron.

In order to make steel or east-iron sponge, 7 (so cal1ed,) the operationbefore described is continued a little longer, in order to give thedesired amniount of carbon, and after the iron has given ofr all itsoxygen it becomes carbonized very rapidly by the efiect and absorptionofthe carbonio oxide.

My furnace is thus a deoXidizing and carbonizing furnace, and may beused as Well for deoxidizing iron as for carbonizing iron into l steeladapted for railway-bars or iron-forgings.

Having thus described my furnace and process and manner oi' constructingand operating the saine, what I claimtherein as my invention, and forwhich I desire Letters Patent, is

The deoxidizing of ores and carbonizing iron by the use of carboniooxide at the required

